Updates

Monday 26th, November 2007

Left Stansted Airport 10 mins late but travel plans all went very smoothly and at 15:30hrs eventually met Chris Martin the High Performance Swimming Coach at Stirling University, Scotland. 

Chris joined the Institute in 1999 as High Performance Swimming Coach. Originally from Philadelphia, USA, Chris is former coach to the University of Florida men’s and women’s team and the City of Birmingham Swimming Club. He has coached numerous World and Olympic level swimmers including 1992 US Olympic Gold medallist Nelson Diebel.

I also met Ciaran O’Brien his Assistant Swimming Coach, who joined the Institute in 2005.  He graduated with a Master of Science in Sports Studies from the University of Stirling in March 2005. During his Masters programme, Ciaran was also the Graduate Assistant Coach at the University, prior to that he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from the University of Strathclyde in 2002.

Timing was great because it meant I had arrived just in time for the evening session which started at 16:00hrs. Chris and Ciaran were joined by Assistant Graduate Coach Dave and I watched the session and got to know them. Chris gave me his log book from last year to read tonight. 

I know I am going to learn a lot about myself and coaching this week, and driving back to the hotel I remembered Mick Hepwood and Kevin Ayers telling me I would!

Tuesday 27th, November 2007

Had a very unsettled night waking it seemed every hour!  Alarm went off at 4:45am, left hotel with no breakfast and in pool by 5:45am.
Pool session was a mixture of kick and pull and working on rotation and weak side.  For the pull set the swimmers used their kick board instead of a pull buoy this aids the swimmer to feel the rotation or lack of it and adjust their swimming so that it is more balanced. 

After the pool 4 of the swimmers went into the Strength and Conditioning Gym and worked with the Strength and Conditioning coach on their individual programme. 

Chris then spent time explaining the Sports Science and testing done at Stirling University which he says has to have a human relationship benefitting the swimmer to swim faster, otherwise the test will not be done.

Andy Hunter recently improved his turn by comparing frame by frame with Grant Hackett.  Chris said that Andy wouldn’t have improved it as much if he had been shown a graph, he needed to see the comparison of his turn against Grants actually racing and in the pool to make the change.
Went to lunch with Chris and Ciaran and discussed Coaching Philosophies, the difference between lessons/clubs in Scotland and England, there seems to be lost more water time and pools in Scotland. 

I am starting to understand Chris Martin and how he works.  He has a very different way of working.  He has made me think much more and differently to how I used to.

Looking forward to the alarm going off at 4.45 and have bought some bananas for breakfast!

Wednesday 28 November 2007

Woke before my alarm this morning at 4.41am.  Had my breakfast and arrived at the pool 5:28 ready for morning session. There were only 4 swimmers but they worked very hard on the different energy systems.

Had breakfast and talked through the Hoddesdon Programme with Chris.

Time off for good behaviour so I visited Stirling Castle in the rain!

In the afternoon went to watch the local University League gala between Stirling and Edinburgh, which Stirling won.

As the morning session was a hard one, and the swimmers are in their resting phase, the evening session was high volume at a lower intensity and working primarily on skills.

Thursday 29 November 2007

Can’t believe it is Thursday already.  The morning session went well with swimmers concentrating on skills: kick, weakside, pull, turns, starts, speed and balance.

I was invited to watch the swimmers in the gym working with the Physiotherapist and the Strength ConditioningCoach.

The weather is much better today so when I have finished writing up my notes I am going to the Wallace Monument to climb and see the magnificent views!

Really enjoyed tonights session which focussed on sprints.

At the very end Chris got the swimmers to swim 4 x 100 odds on 1.30 easy and evens on 2.30 MAX.  Then 600 easy in the middle and repeat. Andy Hunter swam 55, 54, 53 and 52 secs for each MAX 100.

Friday 30 November 2007

The last morning session was made up again of skills. Some speed work built in and lots of recovery swimming.

At the end of this morning’s session they videoed Andy Hunter swimming his freestyle turn.  The coaches thought the turn was better, but in fact when they compared it frame by frame to one he had done earlier it was considerably slower on the somersault.

I have had a great time here at the Stirling University and have learned lots about coaching High Performance Swimmers, coaching in general and about myself.

I will now Look, Think and Question, and start to learn as much about swimming as I can.

Thank you Chris, Ciaran Dave and the Swimmers at Stirling University for a very valuable and educational week in Scotland.

Thank you SkillsActive and the Nancy Ovens Bursary Award for making this visit possible.

Janet Warrington